These crispy air fryer zucchini fries make the perfect side dish, snack or appetizer, and are so good you’ll be begging for more! Crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with flavor, you’ll want to keep this recipe handy to use up your zucchini, especially during the summer! Gluten-free and dairy-free too.
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Jump to:
- Putting our Air Fryer to Work
- What are Zucchini Fries?
- Why This Recipe Works:
- Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Ingredients Notes/Substitutions:
- How to Make Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Step by Step):
- Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
- Recipe FAQs:
- No air fryer? Bake these in the oven.
- What to Eat with Zucchini Fries
- Other Zucchini Recipes to Enjoy:
- Gluten-Free Air Fryer Recipes to Love:
- Other Gluten-Free Snacks to Enjoy:
- Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Putting our Air Fryer to Work
Since we got our air fryer, we’ve been using it non-stop. There are just so many amazing air fryer recipes to make with it, that I’m honestly considering letting it take permanent residence on my countertop instead of storing it away each time we finish using it.
We’ve made crispy air fryer chicken wings (so tender and juicy!), perfect air fryer french fries (move over, fast food!), and now we have these amazing zucchini fries, which are about to blow you away.
What are Zucchini Fries?
If you’ve never heard of or eaten zucchini fries before, it’s time to get you up to speed!
Basically, zucchini fries refer to zucchini that has been cut into fry-like strips and that has been breaded with some kind of breadcrumb coating and baked or fried.
Air Fryer Zucchini Fries – A Healthy Snack or Appetizer!
Instead of baking the fries in the oven, or deep-frying them in an insane amount of oil, we’ll be air frying them because this results in a beautifully crunchy texture with so much less oil.
These crispy zucchini fries make a healthier french fry alternative. Golden brown, crispy, and healthy – which is a triple win!
Why This Recipe Works:
- Simple Ingredients: The ingredients required for this easy air fryer zucchini fries recipe are few and simple. They’re easily accessible at your grocery store, and you might even have them already!
- Little Oil Required: Compared to deep-frying, minimal oil is required when using the air fryer, which makes these a healthier snack.
- No Oil Splatters: Since the cooking is done inside the air fryer, there are no oil splatters compared to if you were deep frying the zucchini fries or frying them in a pan. No irritating oil splatters on the wall to clean up, hip hip hurray!
- Crispy Outside, Juicy Inside: These air fryer zucchini sticks are deliciously crispy and crunchy on the outside, while still perfectly juicy on the inside. They make an amazing snack, a great appetizer, or a tasty side dish.
- Totally Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free: Best of all, these zucchini fries are 100% gluten-free and dairy-free, which means even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances can still enjoy them!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required to make these air fryer zucchini fries.
(For exact measurements and quantities, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
Ingredients Notes/Substitutions:
- Breadcrumbs: You may use either plain gluten-free breadcrumbs or gluten-free panko bread crumbs. If you prefer to keep this low-carb, you can use almond flour, ground almonds or even ground pork rinds. Alternatively, if you can tolerate gluten, you can also use normal breadcrumbs instead.
- Nutritional Yeast: I use nutritional yeast to add a “cheesy” taste and color and to keep this zucchini fries recipe totally dairy-free. However, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use grated parmesan cheese instead.
- Dried Herbs: I like using granulated garlic and dried parsley for an extra kick of flavor. Alternatively, you may use other seasonings such as Italian seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, or even everything bagel seasoning.
- Egg: The egg is required as a binding agent to bind the breadcrumbs to the zucchini sticks. If you prefer not to use the yolk, use two egg whites for the egg wash instead. If you want to make this completely egg-free, you can use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (the water from soaking chickpeas), or use oil in place of the egg.
- Olive Oil: I like using extra virgin olive oil, but you may also use another vegetable oil such as avocado oil or sunflower oil if you prefer.
How to Make Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Step by Step):
1. Wash and Cut Zucchini
Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut the zucchini into strips approximately 3 to 4 inches in length.
(Tip: You want to cut them in approximately the same size so that they cook in the roughly same amount of time.)
2. Place Zucchini Sticks on Paper Towels
Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and place the cut zucchini in a single layer on it. Sprinkle salt over the zucchini strips and let them sit for at least 20 minutes to get rid of excess water content.
After 20 minutes, use dry paper towels to dab at the zucchini slightly and soak up the water that has been released.
(Tip: Zucchini has a high water content, and as they cook they tend to release water. For best results and to ensure that we get the crispiest fries possible, it’s important to get rid of as much water as possible by prepping the cut zucchini before cooking them.)
3. Combine Dry Ingredients to Make Breading Mixture
Combine the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, granulated garlic, dried parsley, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
Mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. Coat Zucchini Sticks in Egg
Place the egg in a small shallow bowl and beat it. Dip each zucchini stick in the egg, ensuring all sides are covered with egg.
5. Coat Zucchini with Breadcrumb Mixture
Dredge zucchini with the breadcrumb mixture and make sure all the surfaces are coated well. Repeat with the remaining zucchini until all the zucchini sticks have been breaded.
6. Spray Basket with Cooking Spray and Preheat Air Fryer
Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray so the fries don’t stick to the basket. Preheat the air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes.
(Tip: As with using the oven, make sure to preheat your air fryer for at least 5 minutes to ensure it’s hot and has reached the desired temperature before the food is placed inside.)
7. Place Zucchini Sticks in Basket
Once the air fryer has been preheated, place the maximum number of zucchini sticks you can in one single layer (and making sure they do not touch).
Next, brush the sticks with olive oil. I personally find that brushing the sticks with oil produces crispier results (as opposed to spraying them with cooking oil) as you can better get into all the nooks and crannies with the brush.
(Tip: For maximum crunch, make sure you do NOT stack the fries in more than one layer. The fries need the space to cook and crisp up on all sides, so stacking them will not get you crispy fries. Depending on how the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in either 2 or 3 batches. Just to give you an idea, I have a 3 quart air fryer and had to cook them in 3 batches.)
8. Cook Until Golden Brown
Cook the zucchini fries for 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through and brushing the other side with more olive oil. Repeat until you finish cooking all the zucchini fries.
Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
- Adjust Seasoning: Feel free to adjust the seasoning according to preference. Instead of the granulated garlic and dried parsley, go ahead and use
- Italian seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, or even everything bagel seasoning.
- Swap Zucchini for Eggplant: If you want to make this recipe but don’t have zucchini on hand, feel free to substitute zucchini with eggplant instead.
- Cut into Round Slices Instead: If you prefer, you may cut the zucchini into rounds instead of sticks. Coat the zucchini slices as you would the zucchini sticks before cooking them in the air fryer.
Recipe FAQs:
To store the zucchini fries, place them in layers separated by parchment paper in an airtight container. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To freeze the fries, place them in layers separated by parchment paper in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you want to reheat the zucchini sticks for eating, simply preheat the air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes, then place the zucchini fries in the air fryer and let them heat up and crisp for 8 minutes, tossing them halfway through. For the frozen fries, make sure to thaw them for at least 2 hours before heating them up.
No air fryer? Bake these in the oven.
If you don’t own an air fryer, but would like to make these fries in the oven instead, here’s how to cook them.
Place the fries on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer (making sure they do not touch), brush the tops of the fries with olive oil,and bake for 20 minutes, flipping them and then brushing the other side with oil halfway through before continuing to bake.
What to Eat with Zucchini Fries
These air fryer zucchini fries make perfect appetizers when you have guests over, a snack when you’re hungry, or can be served as a side to a main dish. No matter how you eat them though, I strongly suggest you eating it with the following sauces, or simply use your dipping sauce of choice:
Other Zucchini Recipes to Enjoy:
If you’ve got an abundance of zucchini and have run out of ideas of how to cook them (something we all experience during the summer), here are some fun zucchini noodle recipes you can try:
- Peanut Sesame Zucchini Noodles
- Vegetarian Zucchini Noodle Stir Fry
- Zucchini Noodles with Walnut Pesto
- Zucchini Noodles with Minced Beef and Mini Heirloom Tomatoes
- Healthy Vegetable Zucchini Noodle Soup
Gluten-Free Air Fryer Recipes to Love:
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Air Fryer Bacon (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Crispy Baked Yuca Fries (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Other Gluten-Free Snacks to Enjoy:
P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!
PrintCrispy Air Fryer Zucchini Fries (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These crispy air fryer zucchini fries make the perfect side dish, snack or appetizer, and are so good you’ll be begging for more! Crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with flavor, you’ll want to keep this recipe handy to use up your zucchini, especially during the summer! Gluten-free and dairy-free too.
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini, cut into strips (approximately 3 to 4 inches long)
- Salt for sprinkling
- 1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- Cooking spray, for spraying the air fryer basket
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, for brushing
Instructions
- Wash and Cut Zucchini: Wash and dry the zucchini. Cut the zucchini into strips approximately 6 to 7 inches in length.
- Place Zucchini on Paper Towels: Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and place the cut zucchini in a single layer on it. Sprinkle salt over the zucchini strips and let them sit for at least 20 minutes to get rid of excess water content. After 20 minutes, use dry paper towels to dab at the zucchini slightly and soak up the water that has been released.
- Combine Dry Ingredients to Form Breading Mixture: Combine the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, granulated garlic, dried parsley, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Dip Zucchini in Egg: Place the egg in a small shallow bowl and beat it. Dip each zucchini stick in the egg, ensuring all sides are covered with egg.
- Coat Zucchini with Breadcrumb Mixture: Coat the zucchini with the breadcrumb mixture and make sure all the surfaces are coated well. Repeat until all the zucchini has been breaded.
- Spray Basket with Cooking Spray and Preheat Air Fryer: Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and preheat the air fryer to 400F for 5 minutes.
- Place Coated Zucchini in Basket: Once the air fryer has been preheated, place the maximum number of zucchini sticks you can in one single layer and then brush the sticks with olive oil.
- Cook Till Golden Brown: Cook the zucchini fries for 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through and brushing the other side with more olive oil. Repeat until you finish cooking all the zucchini fries.
Notes
Breadcrumbs: You may use either plain gluten-free breadcrumbs or gluten-free panko breadcrumbs. Alternatively, if you prefer to keep this low-carb, you can use almond flour or ground almonds instead.
Nutritional Yeast: I use nutritional yeast to add a “cheesy” taste and color and to keep this zucchini fries recipe totally dairy-free. However, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use grated parmesan cheese instead.
Dried Herbs: I like using granulated garlic and dried parsley for an extra kick of flavor. Alternatively, you may use other seasonings such as Italian seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, or even everything bagel seasoning.
Egg: If you want to make this completely egg-free, you can use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba (the water from soaking chickpeas), or use oil in place of the egg.
Olive Oil: I like using extra virgin olive oil, but you may also use another vegetable oil such as avocado oil or sunflower oil if you prefer.
Cook Zucchini in One Single Layer: It’s important that you cook the fries one layer at a time so they have plenty of space to crisp all over (do NOT stack them on top of each other). Depending on your air fryer, you may need to do them in more batches. Simply place the cooked fries aside, and once all the fries are done, reheat them in the air fryer for another 5 minutes until hot and crispy before serving.
How to Store/Freeze/Reheat: I like eating these fries right away, but if you wish to store them, place them in layers separated by parchment paper in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To freeze, place the fries in layers separated by parchment paper in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat the fries, make sure to thaw them for at least 2 hours if frozen, then heat them in the air fryer for 8 minutes, tossing them halfway through until crisp and hot.
Baking These in the Oven: If you don’t own an air fryer, but would like to make these fries in the oven instead, place the fries on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer (making sure they do not touch), brush the tops of the fries with olive oil, and bake for 20 minutes, flipping them and then brushing the other side with more oil halfway through before continuing to cook.
This recipe was first posted in December 2013, and was updated in January 2022 to include clearer instructions, ingredient notes and substitutions, as well as step-by-step process shots.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Desert Farms says
Thank you very much for these great recipe!
Felicia Lim says
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Grace Lim says
Hello Felicia,
Thanks again for yet another great and healthy air fryer recipe.
Celebrating our nation’s 55th Birthday today !
Blessed 55th Birthday SINGAPORE!!!
With love and blessings always,
Mum
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hi mummy, enjoy celebrating National day! And you have to make these zucchini fries, you’ll love these!
Lan | morestomach says
i adore fried zucchini sticks and like you, when i realized that the oven can also offer up crispy delights i was so excited.
i will say that the dredging part is my least fave.
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Lan! Hope your Christmas was delightful! And your oxtail soup looked absolutely lovely, so I’m pretty sure that at least on the food front, things were good, whether or not you wanted to decorate a Christmas tree or buy presents.
Isn’t the oven such a magical thing? I used to be afraid of baking, but I think conquering that fear was one of the most evolutionary events in my culinary life!
Wishing you a kick-ass 2014 with plenty of love and gorgeous, delicious food.
F.
Grace Lim says
It is wonderful that Fran does come over to your apartment for chilling out with you guys over simple meals that you whipped up so easily these days.
Enjoy these last few days of 2013 as you ursher in 2014 with greater joy and bigger dreams with everlasting love always flowing from Father God in heaven above.
May God’s love, joy and peace abound in your life now and always!
With lots of love from all of us in Singapore to you guys in Buenos Aires 🙂
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Thanks mummy! Happy new year 2014 to you all too!!! I love you!